Trouble lamp for automobiles



Feb. 19, 1924.; 11,484,458

w. M. ANDERSON TROUBLE LAMP FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Feb. 8, 1925.

'Fatented Feb. 1%, i924.

TRGUBLE LAMP FOR- AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed February 3, 19:33. Serial No. 617,854.

To all whom it may concern: p

, Be it known that 1, WILLIAM M. ANDER- soN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New York Mills, in the county of Gtter Tail andState of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTrouble Lamps for Automobiles, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to so-called trouble lamps for automobiles and theobject is to provide a simple and eificient device which is normallyused as a dash lamp but man emergencycan be extended to any part of anautomobile for locating any trouble.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top view of my device with its cover shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1 with the cover shown in section and someminor parts omitted.

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals, 3 designates the dash orinstrument board of an automobile. At the inner side of said board Iattach as at 4? a socket a in which is held the tapered end 5 of a tube5 the free end of which has a downward opening through which an electricbulb 6 throws light.

The tube 5 is held in place by a finger catch 7 the front end of whichhas a tooth 7 normally engaging in a notch 8 in the socket 4: and heldthus by a coil spring 9 engaging the under side of the opposite end ofthe finger catch. The tube 5 is thus readily detachable from the socket.A cable 10 containing the two wires of the circuit furnishing current tolamp 6 is extended forward from the tapered end 5 of the tube and iswound on a reel 11, the length of said cable being predetermined butpreferably about 12 to feet. Said reel is mounted on a horizontallydisposed shaft 12 journaled in a light frame 13 secured on the frontside of the dash 3. At one side of the reel T secure on its shaft apinion 14: driven by a gear 15 rotated by a coil spring 16 one end ofwhich is held by a pin 17 (see Fig. 1).

The end of the reel opposite the pinion has two concentric contact rings1819 contacting with electrodes 20 (see Fig. 1) held rigidly in a plug21 of the frame 13. Each wire of the cable 10 is connected to one of thecontact rings 1819 within the reel as at 2223 (see Fig. 1). Facing theouter end of plug 21 is the bottom of a cap 24 which has a verticallydisposed flange 25 with two diametrically opposite slots 26 throughwhich two studs 27, secured in the frame, project outwardly and havewashers 23 and a compression coil spring 29 for each stud held incompression between the washer and the flange 25. 30 and 30 are two wireends of a cable 30 connected with any suitable source of electricity(not shown). Said wire ends are inserted in apertures in the bottom ofcap 2% and their inner ends so spaced that when the cap 24 is rocked thewire ends 30"30 will contact with the elec trodes 20, permitting currentto reach the lamp 5 and return through the above mentioned rings 18-19and the cable 10.

The cap may be oscillated by a push-andpull switch button 31 forward ofthe dash and having a rod 82 extending forward of the dash and connectedas at 33 to the flange 25.

34 and 35 are the top and bottom halves, respectively, of a sheet metalcover adapted to inclose that part of the device forward of the dash.Their edges may overlap as at 36 (Fig. 2) and be secured to the frame 13with a number of screws 37.

In the use of my device it will be readily understood that the dashlight is normally in its place on the dash or instrument board and thecircuit to lamp 6 is controlled by the button 31. Should trouble developin any part of the automobile the dash light is readily detached and itmay be taken to any part of the car for investigating the source oftrouble and when that has been found the finger catch may be engagedwith any convenient part of the car or on the clothes of the personusing the light in such position that it throws light on the parts ofthe automobile needing attention.

The cable 10 is at all times under tension, the spring 16 tending torotate the reel 11 so that the cable will be wound upon it.

What I claim is:

1. An electric lighting device of the kind described comprising anelectric lamp detachably secured in a socket in a stationary element,means mounted on said element adacent the socket and operativelyconnected with said lamp and with a source of current to provideelectric current for the lamp while the latter is in its securedposition on the stationary element or detached and removed some distancetherefrom, said electric circuit comprising a cable having two wireshaving their rear ends connected with the lamp and their forward endsconnected with two concentric conductive rings in the flange of a reelmounted in a frame secured to the stationary element and said cablenormally wound on the reel, two stationary electrodes each normallycontacting with one of said rings and means for sending an electriccurrent through said electrodes, said frame having an integral plug inwhich said electrodes are secured and said electrodes having their endsopposite from the reel exposed in the outer end of said plug and saidmeans 15 through the electrodes comprising a cap for sending an electriccurrent adapted to be oscillated and normally spring pressed against theend of said plug, and secondary electrodes in said cap comprising theends of wires connected with a source of current and adapted to contactwith the first mentioned electrodes when the cap is rocked, to controlthe circuit to the lamp.

2. The structure specified in claim 1, and means slidably mounted nearthe lamp and operatively connected with said cap to oscillate the latterfor opening or closing the electric circuit. r

In testimony whereof WILLIAM M. ANDERSON.

I afiix my signature.

